Help for Families | Secondhand Drinking | Codependency
Mental Illness – What You Need to Know
Mental Illness Awareness Week 2012 is October 7 – 13. Why should each of us individually care? What can we do as individuals? The Significant Statistics Related to Mental Illness An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a…
Read MoreYoga and the 12 Steps
Yoga and the 12 steps? Really? If you’ve been following this blog, you know that treating addiction (and secondhand drinking, aka codependency, for that matter) is all about healing the brain. And for that healing process – there are many, many options. In other words – there’s no one nor right way to “do” addiction…
Read MoreBehind Every Alcoholic or Drug Addict is a Family Member or Two or Three…
We often forget that behind every alcoholic or drug addict is a family member — often several family members — spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. ________________________ The light in his eyes was gone – blind fury stared forth. Alex* was no longer there. I felt terror like I’d never known but knew…
Read MoreAddiction a Brain Disease? But How?
Addiction a brain disease? “No way,” or some variation thereof, is the typical reaction, I hear. Followed by something along the lines of, “Cancer is a disease. All they have to do is put down the bottle [or stop using the drug]!” Recent Research Identifies Why/How Addiction is a Brain Disease Thanks in large part…
Read MoreCodependent Children – What Can Parents Do?
Codependent children — one of the tragic outcomes in families with untreated, undiagnosed, unhealthily discussed substance abuse and/ addiction. Darlene Lancer shares valuable information to help parents help their children avoid growing up to be codependent. But first, a bit about Darlene… Darlene Lancer is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of Codependency…
Read MoreAddiction Impacts Lives of Millions and Costs Billions
Addiction is so deeply shrouded in secrecy, discrimination and shame in America [and I cite America for the sake of the statistics used, however similar realities exist around the world] that the lives of over one-half the population are affected and the economic costs exceed one-half trillion dollars. It was for this reason that I…
Read MoreAddiction Recovery – One Step at a Time
Addiction recovery – taking it one step at a time reduces the fear and worry over whether it can really be done. The following is a guest post by Hyrum Taffer, a freelance writer on drug addiction and recovery issues. Through both personal and family experience, Hyrum has seen the reality of drug addiction. With…
Read MoreSuicide, Mental Illness, Drugs and Alcohol
Suicide. More than 34,000 suicides occurred in the U.S. This is the equivalent of 94 suicides per day; one suicide every 15 minutes or 11.26 suicides per 100,000 population. [CDC, Suicide: At a Glance, PDF in The Spotlight box] Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds and the third leading…
Read More